He inhales sharply. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you. Sitting at the bar, the slit of your golden dress framing one deliciously long leg, one dark eyebrow raised in challenge, and an amused gleam in the depths of your bright blue eyes. If you want to walk away, do it now.”
I stare up at him, remembering that night. He was mysterious. Commanding. Suspicious of my motives. There were so many layers beneath his buttoned-up demeanor. I run my hands up my body and toss my head back. A clear invitation in my eyes.
He pulls off his t-shirt in one smooth move and swoops in. Arms wrap around me as he bends down to run his nose down the side of my neck. “Mathias’ body wash can’t erase the smell that’s uniquely yours. Jasmine and vanilla. The scent has lingered under my skin and in my mind from the beginning, driving me near mad with curiosity and need.”
“Jamison,” I sigh, surrendering to him.
His mouth captures mine and every tension filled moment between us is in the kiss he lays on me. Raw need eclipses his control, and it feels delicious. Powerful. I want more. Deepening the kiss, I let myself get lost in the passion between us.
Magic erupts on his hands and with a harsh exhalation, he steps back, but I immediately wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly to me.
“You don’t need to control yourself.” I breathlessly remind him, placing his hands on my breasts. A small current courses through me, and heat pools low. I gasp. “Take me. Show me the madness.”
For a heartbeat, he hesitates, but soon his firm lips capture mine in a frenzy of desire. Magic hums between us, heightening the intense sensations bombarding us. Gone is the controlled Brit. His mouth and tongue leave my lips to skim down my body to my breasts.
I grip his shoulders, holding myself upright as he worships my aching nipples. My body arches, offering him whatever he wants, greedy for more.
He lifts his head, eyes dark with intent, and scans my face. Whatever he sees in my flushed cheeks must satisfy him, because a wicked smile appears on his face. Arms tighten as he he picks me up and lays me on the couch.
He remains motionless for a second, drinking in the sight of me. “Bloody hell, you’re stunning. I want to taste every inch of you.”
My lips curve, and I tug on his pants. “Not until you’re naked.”
My tone is demanding, but so is my need. With a couple of quick moves, he tugs them off, along with his briefs. I suck in a breath at the sight of him. Tall with broad shoulders, I follow the line of his body down to his tapered waist and muscled abs. He’s not quite as muscular as Gatlin or Mathias; his sculpted muscles are sleek and lean like a thoroughbred.
I lift my hand, but he captures it and places it above my head.
“Not yet.” Kneeling, his hands and mouth descend between my legs and begin an all-out assault on my senses. Nerves burn with sensation as my body quivers, begging for more. He’s relentless, playing my body like an instrument.
“I need you,” I beg, but he rejects my words with a shake of his head.
Fingers slide in and out of my wet heat as his thumb finds the bundle of nerves at the top. His head lifts. “I want to watch you fall apart.” His voice is rough and ragged.
In response, I slide my hands up to play with my nipples.
“Fuck,” he mutters, eyes lingering on my breasts. He returns his gaze to my face and quickens his movements.
My thighs tense, and my body arches. I reach out and fist the couch under me. His eyes, navy now, gleam with desire. Hestrokes faster, in and out of me, circling the top at the same time. Magic sparks on his fingers, and I shudder at the intensity.
Moments later, I explode in a shower of darkness and stars. The world disappears for a brief second. Heat bursts from the center of my body, filling my empty crevices, satisfying the loneliness I’ve carried for so long. I moan softly as he continues to stroke me. Another wave begins to build.
He removes his hand and settles his body on mine. “I need to be inside you.” His voice is full of gravel as he slides into me. We both release a low moan as he begins to move. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
Pleasure, already building, amplifies with every hard stroke. My body rises, clenching tightly, meeting his thrusts. I slide my hand down and circle the bundle of nerves. Our breaths fill the air. I moan as I fall apart, body milking his, waves of heat rolling through me.
His mouth drops down on mine, drawing out the moment with a kiss so deep, it makes my toes curl. A second later, he lets go, finding his own release.
Head lowered, he kisses me a few more times before easing off me and gathering me in his arms. “From the moment we met, I knew it would be like this between us, but my imagination didn’t do us justice.” His hands glide lightly over my skin, tracing and mapping the peaks and valleys. Silence falls, and he turns toward me. “Is everything all right?”
I heave a dramatic sigh. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to give you up now.”
He laughs, but I know he senses the emotions and thoughts running through my brain. Hawthorne. My past. The box. For the first time in ages, I want to abandon the path I set out on three thousand years ago and find a life.
“That’s too bad,” he says with a satisfied smile, leaning over to give me a lingering kiss. His phone buzzes, and he curses as hereaches for his pants. “Damn. I wish we could hide here for a few days, but we need to go.”
42
PHAEDRA
